Hadrian Denarius “pietas” — Certificate Of Authenticity

A silver denarius of Hadrian, struck at Rome in AD 118, whose collecting interest lies at the intersection of a very early-reign portrait—still strongly anchored in the transitional “Traian” titulature—and a Pietas reverse with a clear civic language; a typological combination firmly established in corpora and museum holdings under BMC 82 / Cohen 1027 / RIC 127, with modern renumberings sometimes cross-referenced depending on editions, without this affecting recognition of the type through its legends and depicted markers.

Careful observation under ×10 magnification and raking light: the examination highlights a regular-module silver flan bordered by continuous beading, with nuanced grey toning and fine, old circulation traces; the obverse retains very comfortable readability of the laureate portrait—forehead, eye, and nose volumes clearly ordered, wreath ties visible—while the reverse presents a veiled Pietas whose gesture reads immediately, with the right hand raised as per the type, and the field legend PIE–TAS placed to either side of the figure, anchoring the attribution in directly verifiable elements.

Authority / period: Hadrian (AD 117–138).

Mint / date: Rome, 118.

Denomination / metal: Denarius, silver (AR).

Diameter / weight: 19 mm; 3.34 g (as stated).

Obverse (type and legend): IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, laureate head right, with slight drapery visible on the left shoulder, a bust detail expressly noted for this type.

Reverse (type and legend): P M TR P COS II, veiled Pietas standing (head turned left), right hand raised; PIE–TAS in the field.

References: BMC 82; Cohen 1027; RIC 127 (with renumbering correspondences depending on modern editions).

This type belongs to the inaugural sequence of the reign, when the new prince, while asserting his dynastic name in the titulature, foregrounds a public virtue that is immediately intelligible—Pietas, that is, civic piety and fidelity to duties toward the gods, the state, and the community—a theme particularly consistent with the image of a government presenting itself as orderly, legitimate, and protective.

For the collector, this piece unites a Hadrian portrait sought after for its frank early-principate style with a reverse of strong symbolic density, in which the veiled figure of Pietas offers an “institutional” reading of Roman virtue, making it a particularly harmonious choice for an Antonine collection, a series on personifications, or an ensemble devoted to civic virtues carried by Roman silver coinage.

The provenance is European, from an established numismatic dealer, and the acquisition was made through a specialized international transaction, conducted within a recognized numismatic network and validated to the highest standards of the art and heritage market; the attribution rests on concordance of legends and iconographic arrangement with the published references BMC 82 / Cohen 1027 / RIC 127, as repeated in museum notices and consultable numismatic documentation.
Each specimen is examined, described, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity consistent with the standards of the art and heritage market, this notice remaining strictly grounded in observable elements and published reference works, so that the collector’s confidence rests on a fully verifiable basis.